Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-20
READY FOR BUSINESS.
THE NATURAL GAS FIRED AT THE GRE
MAT0RY, YESTERDAY.
The Light Attracts Gansral Attention IN the
Upper Part Of the City and on
the Island Last Night.
The natural gas was ignited at the Gre

The natural gas was ignited at the ere
matory yesterday, for the purpose OF dry
ing out the brick work aud getting the ap-
paratus in perfect order, it being the inten-
ton of Contractor Smith to have the fun
mace ready to commence operations on
Monday next. Council will not meet be-
fore Tuesday, however, when the Second
Branch will concur in the amendments
made by the First Branch in the ordinance
prescribing rules and regulations, and then
a Joint session must be held for the cleo
ton of keeper and his assistant so that
q formal beginning can hardly take place
before Wednesday next.
The light from the furnace was visible all
over the upper portions Of the city and the
Island, last night, and attracted q good
deal of attention. About half-past seven
o'clock q number Of gentlemen, among
them q REGISTER reporter, started from the
NcLure House corner to pay an after-dark
visit to the Crematory. The party pro-
ceeded up Twelfth street to Chapline, and
I0eu lIANcIsCu lllttl lAlAOus.uleAAC
until Tenth was reached, where they
struck out in the darkness past the color
ed school building and began to climb the
steep ascent of the hill. The light from
the furnace, three hundred feet above,
could be seen casting dim reflection upon
the sky, and with this as a guide the up
grade was taken with confidence.
The night was rs dark rs the inside of q
bag, and as none of the squad had been
over the ground since their school days, q
good many summers ago, the feeling of
confidence was rapidly diSsipated by the
diScOuraging frequency with which the
gentlemen slid into gullies, fell over stones
or ran astride of paw-paw bushes, and
when the summit of the hill was reached
the party was pretty well winded and
covered with dirt and dust
Arriving at the crematOry, however, the
fatigues of the journey were quickly for
gotten in an examination OF the furnace.
| The gas is supplied through l, $50 feet of
| two inch pipe, which brings the fuel from
| the high-preSSure main at the corner of
| Eighth and MarketstreetS, and the volume
| is sufficient to create a tOlerably hot fire
within either end Of the furnace. 1t
seemed last night, however, that n good
deal more heat would have 10 be generated
before substances such rs it is proposed to
cremate could be quickly disposed OF,
but probably this opinion arose from
the fact that the furnace was not
yet thoroughly heated mp and dried out,
and probably, also, the full head OF gas
was not on. There was no one about the
plant to offer any explanations, and the
| gentlemen had to depend upon their own
observations.
After the inspection of the furnace was
completed, the party spent some time III
enjoying a view OF the city spread out be-
fore them, the thousands of lights OH both
sides of the city and on the Island afford
ing very pretty spectacle. The descent
was then begun, and after more adventures
than would nil book the party succeeded
in reaching Chapline street in safety, where
they brushed each other OF, and then sep
Grating, went their several ways.